Castor Oil
chickybuns
Posts: 1,037 Member
Ok, so this really sounds disgusting to me. But, last night I was talking to a family friend and she was talking about how she had to poop during her labor and they wouldn't let her get up. She feels that this made it that much more painful. I personally know I get a lot of pain down there when I have to go. She also has two sisters who have had 5 kids each naturally, and they said doing the castor oil...not to induce labor but at early stages seemed to make their deliveries easier when they were "cleaned out". This is just an idea and something to think about. Have any of you done this or thought about it? You could also do an enema or something. It kind of grosses me out, but if it can make labor a little easier, I feel it might be worth a try.
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I wouldn't suggest doing castor oil, only because I read some scary stuff that it could make baby poop inside of you and make you very sick. I don't know if that's true, but i wouldn't risk it. I did do an enema when I was 40 weeks to clean out because I was so constipated. They aren't pleasant, but they don't give you diarrhea and make you vomit like castor oil would. It's pretty much over after the effects take place. lol. I did a fleets saline enema several times during my pregnancy because I have the stupidest butt ever.
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I wouldn't do the castor oil either... I have heard some bad stuff about it! Why wouldn't they let your friend go to the bathroom during labor? I was free to get up and go to the bathroom when I needed to. It was a pain with all the monitors and stuff, but still I was able to go and get up whenever I wanted to.0
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I wouldn't do the castor oil either... I have heard some bad stuff about it! Why wouldn't they let your friend go to the bathroom during labor? I was free to get up and go to the bathroom when I needed to. It was a pain with all the monitors and stuff, but still I was able to go and get up whenever I wanted to.
They just told her she couldn't, I think it was because they didn't want to unhook everything! I'm not sure if she was so close they didn't want her to push? I plan on getting up often to walk around and use the bathroom if I need to .0 -
I wouldn't do the castor oil either... I have heard some bad stuff about it! Why wouldn't they let your friend go to the bathroom during labor? I was free to get up and go to the bathroom when I needed to. It was a pain with all the monitors and stuff, but still I was able to go and get up whenever I wanted to.
They just told her she couldn't, I think it was because they didn't want to unhook everything! I'm not sure if she was so close they didn't want her to push? I plan on getting up often to walk around and use the bathroom if I need to .
Well my husband was told how to unhook whatever needed to be unhooked, so they didn't even have to bother to come in when I needed to get up or go to the bathroom. Yeah, unless she was close to the end that would be the only reason I could see not wanting her to get out of the bed.. Well that and if she had and epi.0 -
Totally something I've thought about. I wouldn't do castor oil, but was thinking about scheduling a colonic...only if my doctor says it's ok. Otherwise, I guess I will suck it up and deal. (Thanks for posting about this by the way! I'm glad I'm not the only one thinking about it.)0
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One of the side effects/symptoms of early labor is diarrhea, so chances are pretty good you wouldn't need any extra help in that department
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This. ^^
A friend of mine is a L&D nurse and she said it's easier for her to "take care" of a solid poop than a messy one. Women who try to clean out beforehand can irritate their colons too much to the point of loose bowels. Just some food for thought.
Also: I'd focus more on preventing tears than I would about bathroom issues
Unless there's a medical reason, you'll be allowed to get up and go. 0 -
At my birthing center the nurses would give you an enema if you wanted one at the "start" of everything.0
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It isn't worth it. It is messy and unsafe. I can cause mega- cramps, diarrhea, nausea and vomiting. It can also dehydrate you and cause distress for your baby. Castor oil can be safely used to induce labor under the direction of your practitioner after you are post- dates instead of an induction. But you shouldn't mess around with it otherwise.0
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With my son they would not let me get up to go to the bathroom. If I had to go they wanted me to use a bedpan. This was hospital policy because a woman gave birth in a hospital toilet thinking she had to poop. Thankfully I never needed the bedpan and after I had the epidural I couldn't feel anything anyway.0
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With my son they would not let me get up to go to the bathroom. If I had to go they wanted me to use a bedpan. This was hospital policy because a woman gave birth in a hospital toilet thinking she had to poop. Thankfully I never needed the bedpan and after I had the epidural I couldn't feel anything anyway.
OMG. That's crazy about the giving birth in a toilet!! Eeeks.0 -
One of the side effects/symptoms of early labor is diarrhea, so chances are pretty good you wouldn't need any extra help in that department
I was going to say, when I woke up and was having contractions, I went to the bathroom and had diarrhea (sorry, TMI, but this thread is kind of that way anyway). When I got to the hospital, they didn't seem surprised by that, and my guess is that I had cleaned myself out on my own.
If you are regular, then you will probably be able to get up and use the bathroom. If you are not regular, I recommend a liquid glycerin suppository (I know Fleet makes them, and at my Publix they are not out with the regular glycerin suppositories - you have to ask the pharmacist for them). I use them on my son on the rare occasions that he gets backed up, and they are AWESOME. Way better than a solid glycerin suppository, and my dad (a pediatrician) highly recommends them for kids. I would use it if I needed to as an adult because they are a quick in and out with a disposable, covered, lubricated applicator, and they work faster as a liquid. They'll clean you out in short order!0 -
One of the side effects/symptoms of early labor is diarrhea, so chances are pretty good you wouldn't need any extra help in that department
I was going to say, when I woke up and was having contractions, I went to the bathroom and had diarrhea (sorry, TMI, but this thread is kind of that way anyway). When I got to the hospital, they didn't seem surprised by that, and my guess is that I had cleaned myself out on my own.
If you are regular, then you will probably be able to get up and use the bathroom. If you are not regular, I recommend a liquid glycerin suppository (I know Fleet makes them, and at my Publix they are not out with the regular glycerin suppositories - you have to ask the pharmacist for them). I use them on my son on the rare occasions that he gets backed up, and they are AWESOME. Way better than a solid glycerin suppository, and my dad (a pediatrician) highly recommends them for kids. I would use it if I needed to as an adult because they are a quick in and out with a disposable, covered, lubricated applicator, and they work faster as a liquid. They'll clean you out in short order!
Thanks for the advice. I am pretty regular and with my due date approaching I will make sure I get in enough fiber, water, and some exercise. It just seems painful now everytime I have to go because of the pressure, just hoping I am pretty cleaned out during labor.0
